Matthew 11:28-30 Christ's Invitation

Lyrics

Come to Me
Learn from Me
and Follow Me
Come to Me
Learn from Me
and Follow Me
And you will find (yes you will find)
The Rest you’re seeking
Only in Me (only in me)
Will you be free.
For I say,
Take my yoke upon you,
and Learn of me,
For my yoke, it is easy,
And my burden is light,
Yes, I say, take my yoke upon you
And Learn of me
For my yoke, it is easy,
And my burden is light.

No more struggling,
No more doubting,
Striving to “become”
You are Weary
Heavy-Laden
Overcome
Be ye Gentle
Be ye Humble
In your Heart like me
I am your example of humility
Humility(humility)
Will set you free,
A possibility (possibility)
Only in me.

Come to Me
Learn from Me
and Follow Me
Come to Me
Learn from Me
and Follow Me
And you will find (yes you will find)
The Rest you’re seeking
Only in Me (only in me)
Will you be free.
For I say,
Take my yoke upon you,
and Learn of me,
For my yoke, it is easy,
And my burden is light,
Yes, I say, take my yoke upon you
And Learn of me
For my yoke, it is easy,
And my burden is light.

No more struggling,
No more doubting,
Striving to “become”
You are Weary
Heavy-Laden
Overcome
Be ye Gentle
Be ye Humble
In your Heart like me
I am your example of humility
Humility(humility)
Will set you free,
A possibility (possibility)
Only in me.

Devotional:

Christ's Invitation To YOU:

Have YOU found REST from
-trying to "earn" God's approval?
-trying to "merit" man's approval?
-being "religious" when you just want to be "loved"?
-worry and cares you carry on "your own" shoulders?
-keeping up with the Jones?... even spiritually?
-struggling to survive, full of wants and care?
-trying to keep the Word of God in your own strength?
-failing to be righteous or like Christ and under condemnation?
-a guilty conscience or prodigal's torment?
OR whatever else is A YOKE upon YOU?

You may be like me: "IN PROCESS" of entering His Rest in these matters...

When we personally come to realize the "REST" that comes from BEING YOKED with Christ, we will WANT TO accept HIS wonderful invitation to COME, LEARN, and FOLLOW.

If life, or a particular burden, becomes "heavy" you can then question:
"What am I carrying that has already been carried for me, by Christ?"
Why is MY yoke suddenly "heavy", when Christ says HIS is light and easy?
Am I yoked with Christ?
Am I yoked with Christ in this "particular matter"??
Am I "in agreement" with Christ's perspective or will in this circumstance?
Am I given "a witness" by the Spirit within, and the Word?
Has HE given me REST?

Coming to him, Learning from Him, and Following Him is OUR PART in coming into THE REST made available to us in Christ. How Exciting! Think about it...
Set before us is an ADVENTURE IN DISCOVERY!!
Once WE DISCOVER who we are and what is ours IN CHRIST, we will never LIVE the same again!
We will overcome, not BE overcome. His yoke is light...easy...able to live underneath. We will find Rest IN Christ Himself.

Jesus was called Immanuel, which is translated "God with us" (Matt 1:23). Well guess what? Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and He is.... RIGHT NOW..."God with YOU"!

His words actually ECHO His Father's words of Isaiah 46:3,4 (a passage many are unfamiliar with, wherein God himself tells us of his carrying us through life, from birth to death). Here it is:

""Listen to me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel,
Who have been UPHELD by ME from birth, Who have been CARRIED from the womb:
Even to your old age, I AM HE, and even to gray hairs I WILL CARRY YOU!
I HAVE MADE,
and I WILL BEAR;
Even I WILL CARRY,
and WILL DELIVER you."

The fullness of GOD is IN CHRIST. Christ is WHO you Come To...Learn From, and Follow. HE is the PERSON who gives you rest from "emotional toil" and "mental aggravation" and "physical exhaustions" of life. He abides within you. There is great mystery in this particular invitation by Christ himself: "Come To Me"... Just as there is mystery in the scripture "Christ IN Us: The Hope of Glory".

PONDER WHO HE IS IN YOU AND WITH YOU.

PART II (You can come back to this, if you are already "full" and need to digest what's been taught already...but do read this SOMEtime. ok? It's important too.)

I'm going to take this "invitation" a step deeper and share a revelation concerning it, that I was given to share:

It was revealed to me by the Spirit that many genuine believers are "unfamiliar" with who they are in Christ and are unaware that they are, in their daily walk, attempting to live under the New Covenant and the Old Covenant AT THE SAME TIME. (I'll explain this as I go on...but let's just say, this isn't to be...)

This ERROR is causing them to be quite double-minded... tormented... and in a state of UNREST within their spirits...picking up cares that have already been "taken care of" by Christ's death and resurrection...overwhelmed by fears and attacks that they HAVE the ability to "overcome".

Some ARE AWARE of what Christ has made available but UNBELIEF in ALL that WAS GIVEN IN CHRIST is keeping many from entering HIS REST, which puts within them a "heaviness of spirit". Hebrews 3 & 4 explains the relationship of unbelief and failure to enter His Rest. I encourage you to read it so you can take this invitation from Christ even more seriously.

True Christianity focuses on what God through Christ HAS done FOR us... whereas, religion and Old Covenant living focuses on what we do FOR God. Religion is a HEAVY YOKE for it is carried apart from Christ. Being Christ's, believing His Word, and coming to a rest in all He HAS done is a LIGHT YOKE. It is a yoke of BELIEVING not of WORKS.

It's the FOCUS that is the major difference...and the way we approach God.

Living under Old Covenant focuses us on what we do or don't do to stay in God's blessings, or come under His curses...OUR being righteous is the focus rather than Jesus being made Righteous for us.
Duet 28 lists some of the blessings and curses involved. Old Covenant is "legalism" which tells me that MY COMMITMENT produces God's commitment TO ME. I lived for years under this mindset. To see if you're still living under this "mentality" you can ask yourself:

Am I focused more on the "principles" of living?
or upon relationship with Jesus and marveling at what He has done for me?

Am I attempting to BE righteous? instead of realizing Christ is the "gift" of Righteousness IN me?

Do I feel that if I sin I am cursed by God? Is that thought followed by
shame or condemnation? Am I trying to "make up" for something I failed in? Do I feel outside of grace? Can He ever accept me?

Is my tendency to run FROM GOD instead of running TO CHRIST?

(If you see yourself alternating back and forth in your answers, especially amidst "circumstances" or "trials"... I'd say... read on...)

The New Covenant, in contrast to the Old, reveals how IN Christ, though grace and through faith, we are declared and MADE righteous before God. Grace teaches us that GOD'S COMMITMENT TO US produces our commitment to Him. Our commitment flows back from gratitude and revelation. Our desire to obey His Voice is the result of new found freedom to be ourselves IN HIM. It's not "blessings and curses" any more. Christ took the curses away. And the blessings ARE "yes" and "amen" in Christ.

Focusing on ourselves and our works to "become righteous" is a heavy yoke...and without humility we aren't able to believe that Christ IS ENOUGH...
that Jesus provides all that is needed for a life of godliness. It's actually a "pride" to think we need Jesus PLUS good works, or Jesus PLUS penitence, or Jesus PLUS our "traditions".
This is why Christ stresses he is gentle and lowly in heart. His yoke is easy , His burden light...He is not only our role model of dependency upon the Father, but He himself BEARS IT ALL...ALL THE WEIGHT of everyday living...and when we then attach ourselves to his yoke it becomes EASY for us to walk with Him. He carries not only the weight of the yoke...but us (smile).

He fulfills righteousness IN us. A simplicity comes into our lives...because our own identity is found in being yoked with Christ. WE FIND REST from religiosity...
FREEDOM from attempts to earn God's love or people's approval due to insecurity...yet we have STRENGTH and BOLDNESS to FOLLOW Christ.

IF YOU FIND THE YOKE HEAVY...question whether you are yoked to Christ OR whether you're carrying something HE HAS CARRIED or WILL CARRY for you. Not sure? Enjoy the DISCOVERY...
COME TO HIM.

Feel like you're one of those tormented due to trying to live according to BOTH Covenants? (You've intellectually received the truth that your salvation is by grace yet in your heart and actions you are still trying to keep The Law to be righteous "in addition to Christ?"...to be loved by God?"
I'll let you in on a secret: It's "MAN" not "CHRIST" that puts the heavy on you...
It's LAW and TRADITION... not FREEDOM and BELIEVING... that puts a heavy yoke on you.

He who the Son sets free is free indeed. Free to love. Free to bless others. Free to walk in righteousness. Free from oppression. Free to be who He created us to be. Free to obey.

Ponder these Invitational Words...throughout the days ahead...and Accept Jesus' invitation to:

COME TO ME.
LEARN FROM ME.
FOLLOW ME.

In doing so, you WILL FIND REST...and that is definitely His heart, and my prayer, for you in this hour.

John 5:39,40
"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of ME, But you are not willing to COME TO ME that you may have life."

Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and My burden is light."